As Christians, our identity is found in Jesus Christ. We are adopted children of God, co-heirs with Christ, temples of the Holy Spirit, citizens of heaven, and members of Christ’s body (Romans 8:15-17; 1 Corinthians 3:16, 6:19; Ephesians 2:19; 1 Peter 2:9-10). This incredible identity should transform every aspect of how we live. First, we should live with gratefulness and praise, recognizing that we have received an undeserved inheritance. Though we were dead in our sins, God in His great love made us alive in Christ (Ephesians 2:5). As adopted children of the King, we have access to every spiritual…
Author: Erin Weitzman
This is an important theological question that many Christians wrestle with. At first glance, there are some Bible verses that seem to suggest God cannot look upon or tolerate sin. However, when we examine Scripture as a whole, we see a more nuanced perspective on how a holy God relates to sinful humanity. First, it is absolutely true that God is holy and righteous. Habakkuk 1:13 declares, “You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong.” 1 John 1:5 states, “God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.” These verses affirm…
The Samaritans were a group of people who lived in Samaria during Biblical times. They emerged after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel in 722 BC when the Assyrians conquered the area. The Assyrians brought in foreigners to resettle the land, and these foreigners intermarried with the remnant of Israelites who were not exiled. The Samaritans were the result of this mixing of peoples. The Samaritans shared some religious beliefs and practices with the Jews, but the two groups generally viewed each other with hostility and suspicion. The Samaritans accepted only the first five books of the Hebrew…
Faith and trust are closely related concepts in the Bible that are sometimes used interchangeably. However, there are some key differences between faith and trust that are important to understand. Faith The Bible defines faith as “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1 ESV). Faith is confidence and assurance in God and His promises, even when we cannot physically see the fulfillment of those promises. Faith relies on the character and nature of God, not on what we can see with our natural eyes. Faith believes that God will do what He has…
The Bible as we know it today was passed down through both oral and written traditions before being compiled into the canonical text. Determining exactly how much of the Bible was transmitted orally is difficult, but scholars generally agree that oral tradition played a significant role, especially in the transmission of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible. Here are some key points about the role of oral tradition in the Bible: The roots of the Old Testament likely originated in oral tales and poetry that circulated for generations before being written down. Stories about the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob), the Exodus from…
The Bible is the most influential book in human history, with billions of copies sold and translated into hundreds of languages. But a common question that both believers and skeptics alike ask is, “Is the Bible actually reliable?” Can we trust that the Bible we read today accurately represents what was originally written thousands of years ago? There are several lines of evidence that support the reliability of the Bible: 1. There are far more copies of the Bible than other ancient texts For most ancient texts, we only have a handful of manuscripts that have survived to this day.…
Overlooking an offense is not always easy. When someone wrongs us, our natural reaction is often to retaliate or hold a grudge. However, the Bible encourages us to be quick to forgive others, even when they sin against us. In Proverbs 19:11, we read “Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.” This proverb provides wise guidance on when and how we should choose to overlook offenses against us. What does it mean to “overlook an offense”? To “overlook an offense” means to consciously choose not to dwell on the wrong that…
The Church of the Nazarene is a Protestant Christian denomination that was founded in 1908 in Pilot Point, Texas. The Nazarene church emerged from the 19th century Holiness movement and holds to the doctrine of entire sanctification. Nazarenes distinguish themselves through their belief that Christians can experience freedom from sin as a second definite work of grace after conversion. Here is an overview of some of the key beliefs and practices of the Nazarene church: 1. Trinity Nazarenes believe in the triune God – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19). They affirm the historic Trinitarian creeds, holding that God…
Boasting in the Lord means finding your identity, worth, satisfaction, and purpose in God rather than in yourself or your accomplishments. It is recognizing that all you have and all you’ve achieved is by God’s grace alone (1 Corinthians 4:7). Boasting in yourself leads to pride, but boasting in the Lord leads to humility and thanksgiving. The Bible has a lot to say about boasting, both positive and negative. We are warned against boasting in human wisdom, strength, or riches (Jeremiah 9:23). But we are encouraged to boast in the Lord and what He has done for us. Here are…
What is an Abomination? The word “abomination” is used over 100 times in the Bible, primarily in the Old Testament. An abomination refers to something that God finds highly detestable, deeply offensive, and abhorrent. In the Bible, practices, objects, and actions described as abominations include idolatry, child sacrifice, divination, eating unclean foods, pride, deceit, shedding of innocent blood, and sexual immorality. The Hebrew word most often translated “abomination” in the Old Testament is tow’ebah. This word conveys the strongest repugnance and disapproval, as well as moral and ethical objection to an action or object. In the New Testament, the Greek…